Elka does not know the difference between skunks and cats

I did not witness this particular adventure; my fiancé related it to me after coming back in the house. I have no pictures of this adventure, so I'll provide you with some stock photos and you can use your imagination.

Because the backyard is still techtonically snowy and icy (spring is here or coming or something), we're still just letting Elka out the back door and into the fenced area to go potty (which reminds me, I'm going to need a new poop scooper for when that is no longer the case). We're working on self control, so she doesn't just bolt out that door as soon as it's opened, but rather waits to be released.

Adventures in Winter Recall

Our -12 degree potty routine, our three feet of snow potty routine, is send Elka out back, call her back when she's done. And she gets done pretty quickly, and with good efficiency, as I've mentioned. Lately, though, some of that distractibility has crept back. God knows why, it's still -12 some mornings, and there's still three feet of snow out there.

But, I've begun to utilize the three count. I'll tell her to go potty, I'll say hurry up, and then I start to count. If I reach 3, I call her back and we go inside. Mostly, she gets busy at 2, if I even need to count.

Wordless Wednesday October 8 2014

We went for a walk in the park....you'll never guess what happened next!

Went for the clickbait title! I wasn't actually sure how I might cleverly title my relation of these events. I debated whether I'd write about this at all, actually, but here we are. In a way it's embarrassing, and it's certainly a cautionary tale. You see, about two weeks ago I sprained my ankle while walking Elka.

This lovely picture? I took it about half an hour before the Fateful Moment. (Though it really is my new "good" picture of her; it's the shot I wanted, and I actually got it for once.)

Springtime Shenanigans

We've had an upswing in....temperature anyway. We're pretty spotty when it comes to whether it's raining from one moment to the next.

One day after work, Elka and I drove to the park to make sure we could maximize the sunlight we might be able to have (it rained within an hour after getting home).

Never Stop Training

Yesterday, Patricia McConnell posted "Gotta Love That Recall" on her blog, and while I read and recommend her as often as I can, I also noticed the specific phrase which I've poached for the title of this post: Never stop training.

I'd been thinking about this lately, in fact, when a certain long nosed miss started nosing up to peoples' plates in a manner she had not otherwise displayed. I may or may not have been mostly unbothered by this, for it was rarely, if ever, my plate she was getting too close to. This is Elka, who I can leave in the car with McDonald's or other takeout and she will not touch is. Elka, who has been in a room with a coffee table full of nachos and dip and even pigs in a blanket and not touched a thing. Elka, who dropped a turkey sandwich she had in her mouth when I said "drop it", and left along a dropped tupperware of taco meat when I said "leave it".

(forgive the old picture, I don't have a new one of her lurking in the "safe range" of food that is not hers)

Purina One BeyOnd recall

Nestlé Purina PetCare has announced a limited recall of it's 3.5 pound bags of Purina One beyOnd Our White Meat Chicken & Whole Barley Recipe Adult Dry dog food. A bag of the product was found to contain salmonella. This is thought to affect only customers in the United States, only that size, and only that flavor.

The bag size to keep an eye out for is the 3.5 pound bags, and the Best By Date and Production codes (located on the bottom or back of the bag) OCT 2014 31071083. UPC code is 17800 1269.

If you have the food, discontinue use. Nestlé Purina PetCare also says to discard it, but I'm not sure how one gets a refund from the store that way. For more information or to obtain the refund (!), you can call them at 1-800-473-8546, and that is a 24 hour, 7 day a week number.

From PetMD.com, symptoms of Salmonella in dogs can include lethargy, fever, dehydration, weight loss, mucus in stool, and abnormally fast heart rate, among other things. If your dog has had this food, definitely keep an eye on him or her for these symptoms. But geeze, if you see these symptoms in your dog ever at all, get thee to the vet!

Proctor and Gamble Dry Pet Food Recall

Proctor and Gamble has voluntarily recalled a number of their dry pet food brands for possible salmonella contaminations. No salmonella related illnesses have been reported in conjunction with these foods.

Included in the recall are a number of Eukanuba dry dog foods, Iams dry dog foods, and Iams dry cat foods. You can follow this link to see the sizes, lot codes, UPC codes, and best by dates.

If you have questions and/or concerns, you can contact

Proctor & Gamble: P&G Consumer Relations: 800-208-0172 (Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm Eastern). The media contact is Jason Taylor, at 513-622-1111

You can also contact them via website at iams.com or at eukanuba.com

If you have any of the listed foods, they advise that consumers should discontinue use, discard, and contact Proctor and Gamble through one of the means I've listed for you above.

A walk in the other park

On occasion, Elka and I hop into the car and go to another park that's just outside of town. It's nice and quiet there, and there tend to be few people or other dogs around. 

Recall: Dogswell Chicken and Duck Jerky Treats

Dogswell has voluntarily recalled chicken breast and duck jerky treats for "antibiotic residue". Products affected are those with a "Best by" date of January 29 2015, and earlier.

(image from Amazon)

The treats are made in China. According to the Dogswell web site, they manufacture their treats in China because:

China is a country where dark meat is more popular due to its inherent fat and flavor. DOGSWELL believes it is less wasteful to obtain our white meat in China where it is abundant, rather than sourcing it domestically, where white meat is less available and held at a premium. Not only do we care about your pet's health by sourcing only the healthiest meat available, we also practice sustainability by reducing as much waste as possible.

Personally, I don't think dogs care if they're eating chicken breasts or not. People who feed raw will feed necks and feet. So really, it seems to me more that their answer is "Making treats in China is cheap." Good spin, though. And really, it could be more sustainable to source the protein in China. I don't know about comparative poultry markets, and that's a fact. According to the Dogswell link above, the chicken is cage free, which I dig. I do know that I no longer buy dog treats or food that are made in China, because there have been so many recalls, and so many problems I've read about.

Granted, it's hard to find safe things anywhere. Seriously, our bagged salad is apparently suspect. But, you do what you can.

The article on Dogster.com mentions that the antibiotic is one that is not approved for use in the United States, but is in Europe. For what that's worth.

Consumers can email info@dogswell.com with questions and concerns, or call 1-888-559-8833

Natura Dog Food Recall

Natura Pet Products has now recalled all of its dry dog food lines. 

Quoted from Dogster.com:

This recall involves ALL lot codes and ALL package sizes of the following products, affecting ALL expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014:
Innova Dry dog and cat food and biscuits/bars/treats
EVO dry dog, cat and ferret food and biscuits/bars/treats
California Natural dry dog and cat foods and biscuits/bars/treats
Healthwise dry dog and cat foods
Karma dry dog foods
Mother Nature biscuits/bars/treats

According to the Natura web site, this was due to a single positive test of Salmonella in product that was manufactured April 3. This is a voluntary recall, and I have to say that unlike the Taste of the Wild recall, Natura didn't drop the news on a Friday and go home for the weekend. They also have downloads for a replacement or refund voucher right on their web site, which is a nice touch, and if necessary, can be contact via phone at (800) 224-6123.

Wordless Wednesday January 30 2013

December in the park

On our most recent walk, Elka and I pretty much had the park to ourselves.

We kind of nodded and smiled "hello" at a couple of passers by, and saw one guy who looked like he was doing a snail's pace circuit of the park while doing some kind of martial arts kata (we gave him a wide berth). I can't say that I minded, really.

Yoghund Frozen Yogurt Dog Treats Recall

If you're like me, you've noticed the recent peanut butter recalls and thanked your lucky stars that nothing you bought fell within that category.

I haven't bought Yoghund products either, but thought that I ought to mention it here, that the Organic Banana and Peanut Butter frozen yogurt flavor has been recalled for possibility of Salmonella contamination.

According to the FDA release:

Although there have been no reported incidents of human or animal illnesses in connection with their product, the company has elected to recall all case product of Lot Code 268 12 and earlier, cup and four pack Best By Date of 9.24.14 or earlier.
Pets with Salmonella infections may have decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, pets may be lethargic, have diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Infected, but otherwise healthy pets, can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Individuals handling the frozen yogurt product can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with surfaces exposed to this product. People who believe they may have been exposed to Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people who are more likely to be affected by Salmonella include infants, children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients, people with HIV/AIDS and people receiving treatment for cancer.
Product was distributed through retailers nationwide.
Pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is in the recall or have additional questions may call us at 603-775-7772 x1007 between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

I've noticed Yoghund on the shelf in one of the stores around here, and while I considered it, I don't tend to spend that kind of money on ice cream for ME, yet alone Princess Elka. So, if you have bought it, check your "best by" and Lot Code dates, just to make sure you and yours are safe!

Wordless Wednesday July 25 2012

Command Clinic: Recall Revelation

I've discussed recall twice now, in Command Clinic: Recall and Command Clinic: Recall Revisited. It doesn't mean that Elka's not still learning. And, it especially doesn't mean that I am not still learning.

Elka's recall at the park is very, very good. She's on a 20 foot leash, and 9 times out of 10, she'll recall on cue without further coaxing or further prompting. She runs at me, and typically hooks to my left (a definite improvement over the days when she ran at me and I caught her full on), where I catch her, then reward her, and then let her go. Taking pictures at the park the other day, though, I noticed something about that hook to my left.

Recall Revisited

So, with a fiction project in the works and the ebook notion dancing in my head like a sugarplum, I've been re-reading my Command Clinics, trying to have a critical eye. It's hard, when you think you've done well!

For instance, Command Clinic: Recall. I wrote this entry in June of last year, before much of anybody was reading or following. Recall is a super important thing, though, and one of the questions that gets asked a lot in the Internet circles I travel through and lurk at. Just how people think a dog should magically listen to them just 'cause, people also magically think that of course dogs come when they're called. If a dog doesn't, that means the dog doesn't like them personally, right?

Well, no.

The Park in November? You Betcha!

Today was a beautiful, sunny day. Far too nice to stay inside and work on my novel instead of taking Elka to the park. So out we went!

Currently, I have an EZ Dog Harness, sent to me by the company, to review. It has a seatbelt attachment that I haven't used yet, but that was a primary reason for me wanting a harness for Elka.

Walking on a sunny day

With fall fast approaching (here, anyway), the sunny days seem that much more precious and few.  

When Elka and I take our walks, we don't just walk. If we're on the sidewalk, we practice "automatic sits" (Elka sits when I stop, preferably at heel).  We practice "look at me".  And oh yes, we practice heel.  Sometimes that goes better than others; at the beginnings of our walks, Elka is very excited to go go go, and has to be reminded, sometimes frequently, that she really should be walking with me.  Frequently, "excuse me" is enough to reach her. Other times, I have to stop walking and wait, and then she comes back to me and sits.

Command Clinic: Recall

Why won't my dog come when I call her?  Probably because I haven't worked hard enough to tell her that every time she come, she'll get rewarded.  Sometimes the reward will be an immediate return to what she was so interested in to begin with.  Sometimes the reward will be a coveted, high value food item, like a french fry or some bacon.  Elka is learning this, though I should have been working with her on it all along.

One recall pitfall is simply calling your dog's name.  Elka hears her name a lot in the course of the day, I'm sure, and it doesn't mean "come here to me" every time.  Also, we've used "come" enough times without her fully knowing what the word is that we've changed the word.  "Come" means something might be going on, but Elka has learned to ignore it through unrewarding repetition.  "Here", however, means "get over here right now".  It means "what treat will I give you this time?" or "how about we play?"

But, how did I change her mind?